New menu at The Flying Elephant

The relevance of any restaurant depends on how often menu changes take place. The invite to review stated that 25 new dishes had been added to The Flying Elephant's menu, replacing some that had been taken off. Curated by TFE's Chef Jyotisankar and his team, the new one features fresh, locally sourced ingredients in cuisines ranging from Thai, Italian and Indonesian to Indian.

Salad and appetisers 

Insalata con rababaro e cuori palma, caprino, pistachio, salsa al miele

So that's how we were looking at a bowl of roasted rhubarb, heart of palm, goat's cheese and pistachio in a spiced honey vinaigrette dressing. Rhubarb is not a common vegetable in Chennai but I do know they are grown in the hills and available at select vegetable stores in the city. Sliced thin, it was crunchy and sweet, contrasting with the peppery rucola and the light tang of goat's cheese, a lovely combination of flavours.

Burrata al forno con salsa di pomodoro e olio di tartufo

A baked burrata that had been smothered in the ingredient of the season - strands of golden seviyan. Tomato sauce with truffle oil completed this delicious salad.

Polpettine di polpa di granchio con salsa agrodolce
Crabcakes are a seafood lover's delight; this trio had us asking for seconds

Gohu makanan laut

Gohu makanan laut is a Ternate-style seafood dish with raw tuna, prawn, crabmeat and finely chopped kaffir lime leaves. The dressing was made with coconut oil, lime juice and grapefruit; the dish could have passed off as an Asian twist on ceviche. Sliced almonds provided the crunch factor and it was an absolute standout.

Going Indian with Paneer E Hasan, each disk had a different stuffing 

Soup

Zuppa di mare alla provençal

Zuppa di mare alla provençal was everything that a seafood soup should be. Bursting with the flavours of a stock made with the shells of fish, crustaceans, herbs and tomatoes and thickened with tiny potato cubes, it was poured over shrimp, mussels, pink perch and saffron aioli. Just the soup to satisfy your soul.

Mains  

Ravioli di zucca e confit di cipolla, mascarpone fresco, salvia e noci

Thinner pasta to enclose the roasted pumpkin and onion ravioli might have been better; the flavour of the onion overpowered the delicate cheese filling.

Risotto alla primavera - beautiful colours but the stock was a let down

Ayam betutu - roast chicken topped with spinach.
The spinach had a tannic aftertaste while the chicken, paired with spicy sambal matah, cured all ills!

 

Dum nalli Hasan

Dessert

Salted caramel tart with honey crunch ice cream; mango and coconut verrine with basil mango salsa

Salted caramel AND chocolate in the same tart is a beautiful way to end a meal. The pastry that encloses the tart is thin, buttery and fabulous. The mango coconut verrine looked pretty though the dessert would have won more points if the mango was sweeter.   

The Flying Elephant is at Park Hyatt Chennai and is open from 7pm onwards.

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Celebrating dim sums at Stix

Once again, Stix at Hyatt Regency Chennai is celebrating a dim sum festival. This time, they brought in the big guns, Sichuanese Sous Chef Zhang Yajun from the award winning China House at Grand Hyatt Mumbai. The chef speaks good English, is an avid traveller and has 18 years of culinary experience. He's been in India for the last 11 and considers himself half an Indian!!

Chef Zhang

Chef Zhang's dim sums are well crafted. There are 20 varieties on the menu every day, half of them vegetarian. The menu also includes a couple of varieties that restaurants in Chennai do not serve. We, of course, tried most of the non-veg ones and a couple of the veg dim sums for the purpose of this review.

We loved them all! 

Seafood, asparagus & coriander soup

My friend and I shared a bowl of seafood, asparagus and coriander soup. It was light, flavoursome and the asparagus slices added texture.

Crystal prawn with fish egg; steamed spinach prawns; lobster dumpling

Our dim sum feast started with the steamed ones. The covering for the crystal prawn and the lobster were translucent, though not as transparent as they usually are. Each opening of the lobster dumpling was topped with a tiny diced vegetable. The spinach prawn was delicious, as were the others.

Vegetarian delights - edamame dumpling; steamed tofu dumpling.  

Pan-fried radish cake

Radish cake is one of my favourites but this was not the hawker stall variety. The radish cubes in Chef Zhang's version were suitably chewy, chilli bits and garlic added oodles of flavour. What a very welcome surprise.

Pork pot sticker; fried black pepper chicken dumpling

The other snack we flipped for was the pork pot sticker with its crisp base and generous amount of filling. Deep fried black pepper chicken dumpling was a work of art. Two kinds of dough go into making this and the pleated edge was shaped into a fan. It held on to its shape during the frying process and surprisingly, was not at all greasy. The sesame seeds were a nice touch, both in presentation and taste.   

Alternate layers of pastry & filling in the pan-fried chicken pancake

Kung pao chicken bao

We were so glad to have ordered this beauty - Kung pao chicken bao. The buns looked like seashells and the filling was so absolutely delish. The sauce was dark and had the aroma and flavour of smoked chillies and the meat was very juicy. We couldn't stop licking our fingers when it had been devoured. What yumminess!!!

You've got to hurry because Chef Zhang will make his dim sums at Chennai only till June 10th and only for dinner. A basket of dim sum is priced between 475/++ and 575/++.
Stix will serve its regular menu too during the dim sum promotion.

Reach Stix at 91 44 6100 1608/ 91 9176633310 for reservations.

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New menu at Cappuccino

Crowne Plaza was positively buzzing that evening. The winning IPL team was back at its "home den" with crowds inside and outside the hotel craning their necks, hoping to get a glimpse of their favourite men in yellow. It was serendipity for me because I did get to see some of them while walking into Cappuccino, the 24-hour coffee shop.

Cappuccino has been around for decades and now, they have a new menu crafted around global cuisines and with plenty of fresh elements. Curated by Executive Chef Deva and Chef Kalidoss, diners can feast on quintessentially English favourites like Shepherd's Pie or Thai curries and even Indian kebabs in the relaxed setting of an upmarket cafe.

Arugula and goat's cheese salad

A plateful of arugula is my idea of a salad and what was put in front of me was fresh and summery. Dabs of goat's cheese, orange segments and candied walnuts with maple syrup dressing... yeah, I did dive into it.

Yummy Murgh Angara. The red chutney is amazing!

Crab cakes

 
The crab cake was delicious - lots of crab filling and a crisp panko-crumbed outside. Avocado aioli and a fresh salsa topped with crushed toasted coriander seeds added more crunch and an interesting well-rounded flavour.

Katong laksa; wild mushroom soup

Singapore's Katong Laksa? I almost fell off my chair in excitement but as it's said, there are many slips between cup and lip. The positive was that it was suitably coco-nutty with plenty of seafood. The wild mushroom soup, on the other hand, was creamy and full of finely diced mushrooms. A little more mushroom stock and a little less cream and it would have become the dish of the day for sure.   

Shrimp roll

The shrimp roll was batter fried shrimps and veggies rolled inside a tortilla. The prawns were nice but the tortilla wasn't. Even the salsa and sour cream did nothing for the roll.

Barbeque chicken pizza - thin base, everything else was meh

Maa ki dal & olive cheese bread

Olive and cheese naan and maa ki dal - now that's yummy combo. The dal was creamy and mellow, a perfect mix of spices and every ingredient that goes into the making of this dish.   

Braised rump of lamb

Braised rump of lamb, moistened with jus was unbelievably tender. The creamy garlic and potato mash was very light, a side of baby potatoes, zucchini, carrots and broccoli made for a winning combination and was definitely the star of the evening.

Hazelnut crème brûlée 

Chocolate cheesecake & fudge squares

We were stuffed but who can turn down not one but two plated desserts? To be fair, the desserts were ready but we were not, hence the crack of burnt sugar on the hazelnut crème brûlée was a little inaudible. It was rich and creamy and the flavour of the hazelnut paste lingered. The chocolate cheesecake, pretty as a picture, was equally divine. 

Cappuccino's new menu is a welcome one and needs only a little fine tuning. Grab a bite or have a full meal here between 12 noon and 12 midnight. A meal for 2 is about 1600/++

Cappuccino is at Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park.
044 24994101.

Tender coconut water with honey&lime juice

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Home delivery by Dhaba Maalgadi

Now who doesn't like a typical North Indian meal - rotis, kebabs, butter-laden dal makhani and the works? I had an invite from Dhaba Estd 1986 to review their menu at their restaurant at Ispahani Centre at Nungambakkam but was rather busy that week and declined. But the good folks at the restaurant didn't give up. They wanted me to try out their newly-launched service, Dhaba Maalgadi, were even willing to travel 11 odd kilometers to do so. Well, why not? We're sick and tired of hearing restaurants refusing home delivery because my locality is "beyond their area of delivery".

10 minutes before the appointed time, I had a call from the delivery guy who came on a bike and was actually right outside my home. 

Biryani handi; butter chicken; Dhaba dal; raita; saalan; gulab jamun; mint chutney; sliced onions; Indian breads

The food had been packed and placed in a paper carry bag and made it home just in time. Some oil had leaked out and the bag was on the verge of tearing.

There was a butter naan, a tandoori roti, a small handi of vegetable biryani, a portion of butter chicken, dhaba dal, raita, mirchi saalan, sliced onions and lime wedges and mint chutney. Also gulab jamuns for dessert, sachets of mouth freshener and two sets of wooden spoons and forks... There was even a small mud pot with tea lights... phew...they thought of everything!! Every item had been neatly labelled.

Tandoori roti; butter naan

The rotis had been packed separately in foil packs. The butter naan was a large one and had been sliced into 3 but had become slightly rubbery. No such problem with the tandoori roti. Many places roll up the rotis before packing them in foil which keeps the bread warm longer.

Veggie biryani

The handi had been sealed well and the rice was still warm. The biryani was dark coloured, had a sprinkle of coriander leaves over the top as garnish and lots of veggies like carrots, beans and beetroot. The grains of rice were long and well-cooked, we could smell the aroma of spices though there were no whole ones. Other than the aroma, it was bland. The handi came with instructions on how to clean and reuse it. 

Chicken & dal

Dhaba's Butter Chicken was delicious, the creamy, spicy, red gravy had generous pieces of chicken on the bone. It had been packed in a plastic tray which had not been sealed well and some of the gravy had spilled. The Dhaba Dal was equally yummy, redolent with the flavour and aroma of butter. It was perfect with the breads. The dal was soft and the gravy thick.

The raita was rather thin and the only flavour that came through was that of roasted cumin which was all right as all the other gravies were thick. The mirchi salan had fat chillies in them and an underlying sourness. The mint chutney was the clear winner, just enough tang, spice and minty goodness and it went well with both the rice and the rotis. The gulab jamun was another favourite with stuffed nuts in the centre.

The spoons could have been of a larger size but I'm not complaining because they were not the plastic ones. It would have been good if the cutlery, mouth freshener and the paper towels were packed together. They had been spread around the bag and had picked up oil stains.

The portions are definitely generous, it was meant to be a meal for 2 but 3 of us had it and there were leftovers. Overall, it was a good meal and the delivery was efficient.

Dhaba Maalgadi can be reached at 7338863168.       

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Villa Maria Wine Estate dinner at the Vintage Bank

The Vintage Bank at the Hilton Chennai is well known among regulars as one of the best places for wine and cheese in the city. It was also the setting for the Villa Maria Wine Estate dinner last week to which yours truly had received an invite.

New world wines have been making inroads into the wine cellars of many establishments and home bars. The climate and soil conditions of these regions produce wines that are aromatic and fruity. Villa Maria Estates, the 4th best wine brand in the world, is a winery in New Zealand that has won the most number of awards; the winery's Brand Ambassador and Export Market's Manager, Michele Lam was on hand to talk us through an evening of exquisite wines paired with some excellent food created by Chef Roberts and his team.

Wine... and cheese

The pale yellow Villa Maria Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2017 set off the event. Light and zesty, the aroma of passion fruit was rather pervasive but the wine tasted crisp and fresh. 

Crab tian with cucumber jelly and baby arugula

Crab tian with cucumber was a pretty sight to behold. The meat was fresh and the cucumber jelly was refreshing. Sprigs of baby arugula provided peppery contrast notes. It looked and tasted like summer on a plate.

Pastry encased chicken breast, grilled potatoes & truffle emulsion

Veg & dates tabbouleh, za'atar chips & pomegranate sauce

The grapes that go into Villa Maria's Private Bin Chardonnay 2017 are grown in Hawkes Bay, on the east coast of North Island. The bay is a great spot for surfing and the warm weather is perfect for the grapes to ripen; they are matured in oak barrels which gives the wine an oak-y undertone. The fruity, medium body wine was served with baked chicken breast encased in pastry along with grilled potatoes and truffle emulsion. A pretty presentation but the chicken was a little dry. My friend's vegetarian dish of veggies and dates tabbouleh with za'atar chips and splotches of pomegranate sauce was art on a plate.

Open lasagna of confit duck with orange sauce

Cellar Selection Pinot Noir 2017 had been decanted earlier and our glasses were soon filled with the beautiful red that is the second most famous in NZ! It had the aroma of plums and cherries and was the perfect pairing with the moist, darker meat of the confit duck in the lasagna. Neatly constructed, the lasagna was served with a sublime orange sauce, the dehydrated orange slice reinforcing the fresh citrus taste.

Lamb loin, potato rösti with Cabernet glaze, baby carrots& asparagus. Pic courtesy Mohnish Carani

Save the best for last, they say, and they did - the pairing of a New Zealand wine with New Zealand lamb. Hawkes Bay is the home of NZ's Bordeaux wines. The Private Bin Merlot & Cabernet 2015 is a beautiful ruby red blended wine that has the fragrance of dark fruits like plums and blackcurrants and spice notes. Aged 12 months in oak barrels, it is a smooth wine, the tannic undertones complemented the flavour of the lamb and the herbs. The lamb, cooked to juicy medium pink perfection was the talking point the rest of the evening.

The Vintage Bank with its relaxed, informal setting is a lovely place to unwind with friends. Good wines, good food and foot-tapping music by Zaii and Troy - now that's a good way to welcome the weekend!   

My invite to the Villa Maria Wine Estate Dinner was from EazyDiner. Reservations done through EazyDiner will fetch you a discount.

The Vintage Bank is at Hilton Chennai.
+91 44 2225700; +91 9500058722.

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